Are Illinois Grocery Stores Liable For Falls on Rainy Days?

If you get injured in a slip and fall accident at a grocery store, you may have a personal injury claim.

Rainy or snowy weather brings with it slick, slippery floors that can increase the risk of slip and fall accidents. While one can avoid shopping during poor weather, sometimes going to the grocery store is necessary even when it is wet outside. Rainy weather, however, can create dangerous conditions that can put grocery store customers at risk of serious injuries if they fall.

During wet weather, grocery stores can take several steps to keep customers safe. Some examples include mopping up puddles regularly, placing mats at entrances to allow shoppers to dry their shoes and putting signage around wet areas to urge customers to tread cautiously. Certain grocery stores take extra fall prevention measures such as adding textured flooring in entrances and exits to improve traction.

If you get injured in a slip and fall accident at a grocery store, you may have a personal injury claim. The store may be liable for your medical expenses, lost wages and other fall-related losses.

Under Illinois premises liability law, property owners and managers are responsible for injuries sustained on their premises under certain conditions. Grocery stores must take reasonable steps to keep their floors free of hazards and maintain the property to ensure it is safe for customers. Reasonable refers to what an average store would do under similar circumstances.

When a store knows or should have known about a dangerous condition, it has a duty to fix the hazard or warn customers about it in a timely manner. If management fails to keep the premises safe, the grocery store may be legally liable for a customer’s injuries in a slip and fall accident.

Grocery store entrances and exits can quickly become slippery on rainy days. When areas are not mopped regularly, puddles can gather and pose fall hazards. If a grocery store knew it was raining outside but failed to put up caution signs on the wet floors or put mats in the doorway, they may have acted negligently.

Slip and fall cases can be challenging to prove and require thorough investigations of every detail. They require showing that a grocery store was negligent. A seemingly minor fact, such as how long a puddle remained on a grocery store floor before a customer slipped on it, can be vital to having a successful personal injury claim.

If you fall and hurt yourself, the first thing you should do is notify the store manager or owner. You should also get immediate medical attention. Another important step to take is to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to find out whether you have a valid claim against the grocery store.

The Chicago personal injury attorneys at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg can help you pursue compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering and other costs through a premises liability claim. If you have been injured due to a slip and fall accident at an Illinois grocery store, contact us for a free initial consultation. We will advise you about your next steps.

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